Atletico crush Eibar by five and cling to the top of the Spanish League
Leaders Atletico Madrid thrashed bottom-of-the-table Eibar 5-0 on Sunday to hit back on a series of disappointing results that helped rivals return to the title race in the Spanish top flight.
Atletico missed two of its most prominent goalscorers, Luis Suarez and Joao Felix, but striker Angel Correa took responsibility and scored twice at the end of the first half for the hosts.
Yannick Carrasco extended the lead after returning from the break before Marcos Llorente added two goals to complete the five-a-side in the first victory in three matches for Atletico after a 1-1 draw with Real Betis and a 1-0 loss from Sevilla.
Atletico tops the table with 70 points from 31 games, four points behind second-placed Real Madrid and five points behind third-ranked Barcelona, with each remaining match.
"Winning with goodwill and conviction brings us great happiness," Correa told reporters.
"The match was close until the first goal and after that it became open and we succeeded in winning it," he added.
Eibar is last with 23 points and has failed to win any victory in the last 14 matches, losing ten of them.
The visitors did not shoot a ball on goal, although he scared Atletico midway through the first half when Alejandro Pozzo crossed over to Kevin Rodriguez unmarked but failed to touch the ball.
Atletico controlled the ball but did not get a serious chance before Correa's goal converted a free kick into the net.
The Argentine striker scored again when he dodged a defender and elegantly placed the ball into the net to make up for the chances he had missed against Betis.
Correa added, "The greatest thing in football is that every week you get a chance for revenge. I felt sorry for missing out on previous opportunities, but I am happy now."
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